re: The Bible and other religious literature

I often try to look at the bible as though from an outsider's perspective. What I see is:
Genesis is fascinating and Exodus is epic.
The rest of the Pentateuch is absolute torture. It feels like some kind of evil, Machiavellian torture experiment perpetrated on this group of people. T
he next few books are pretty interesting, showing the takeover of Canaan and detailing wars with the Philistines as the Israelites establish their kingdom.
Job makes God seem like an even bigger prick than he was in Deuteronomy, Numbers, and Leviticus.
The Babylonian Exile and surrounding prophetic writings showcase some pretty interesting philosophy.
The Gospels are an absolute joy to read. There is story, there is philosophy, there is symbolism, allegory, death, betrayal, victory, defeat, politics, ect. It's a complete story.
Acts is interesting, showcasing the beginnings of the faith.
The Epistles of Paul feel kind of random and unnecessary.
Revelations feels like some kind of apocalyptic acid trip. It feels disjointed from the rest of the new Testament.

As for other religious texts:
The Koran is an absolute chore to read, especially with the constant "Praise be upon him" that happens in nearly every sentence. It's also extremely violent and downright disturbing. I really didn't get much value out of it.
The Hindu Bhagavad Gita is fascinating. The stories are so crazy and so rich in detail, it's like reading science fiction interlaced with philosophy. Great stuff.